NBA D-League approves Dakota Wizards’ move to Santa Cruz

The Warriors, the NBA Development League and the City of Santa Cruz announced Wednesday that the Dakota Wizards, the Warriors’ NBA D-League affiliate, will relocate to Santa Cruz beginning with the 2012-13 season and be known as the Santa Cruz Warriors. The Golden State Warriors bought the Wizards prior to the 2011-12 season and are one of 11 NBA teams to have a one-to-one relationship with their D-League affiliate.

“We’re excited to bring the NBA D-League brand of basketball to Santa Cruz and Northern California,” NBA D-League President Dan Reed said. “The relocation of the team from Bismarck to Santa Cruz further demonstrates the Golden State Warriors’ commitment to developing top young NBA prospects in the NBA D-League. We thank the fans in Bismarck for their support of the team over the last six NBA D-League seasons.”

Santa Cruz will play the 2012-13 D-League season at the to-be-constructed Kaiser Permanente Arena, a temporary basketball facility located in downtown Santa Cruz. The construction is a three-pronged effort between the Warriors, the City of Santa Cruz and the Seaside Company.

“We are thrilled to bring the Warriors to Santa Cruz,” Santa Cruz Warriors President Jim Weyermann said. “This city has a passionate basketball fan base and we are eager to construct an arena that will showcase the team and give the city’s fans something to cheer about. We are excited about all of the additional events this building will be able to host and the vitality it will bring to the region. Creating the largest spectator venue on California’s central coast will help us attract events currently bypassing the area and contribute to the economic development of the region.”

The Dakota Wizards joined the D-League prior to the 2006-07 season, having played in the Continental Basketball Association for the previous 11 seasons. The Wizards enjoyed instant success in the D-League, winning the 2007 championship and securing playoff berths in five of the team’s six seasons. In all, the Wizards produced eight NBA call-ups while helping seven NBA players develop their skills during assignments.

Of the 11 D-League teams with single affiliations, the Santa Cruz Warriors will be one of five teams that are fully owned and operated by their NBA parent club, joining the Austin Toros (San Antonio Spurs), Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers), Los Angeles D-Fenders (Los Angeles Lakers) and Tulsa 66ers (Oklahoma City Thunder).